Most kids in the U.S. have spent more time on screens during the COVID-19 pandemic for a myriad for reasons: to complete schoolwork virtually, stay occupied while parents worked at home and maintain connections with friends and family members.
While there is a range of viewpoints about how much media use is appropriate for kids of various ages, there is consensus that too much screen time leads to negative effects on sleep, attention and learning, and increases in kids’ risk for developing depression and obesity.
This spring, researchers are finding another negative consequence of kids’ screen use: myopia or nearsightedness.
First, a little background: Research shows myopia has been on the rise globally for decades and this increase is expected to continue. While most of us associate nearsightedness with simply wearing glasses, the condition can lead to more serious problems later in life such as cataracts, detached retinas, glaucoma, and even blindness.
While genetics certainly play a role in whether a child develops myopia, there are risk factors within our control. Spending long periods of time doing what researchers call “near work” – reading, writing, using computers, playing video games, and watching TV – is associated with developing myopia . Research shows one of the most important steps children can take to prevent myopia is to spend more time outside.
Back to COVID-19: We now know certainly that most children have had less time playing outside and less physical activity during the pandemic; and they have spent more time engaging in sedentary behaviors including screen time.
A large, longitudinal study conducted by American and Chinese researchers screened more than 120,000 children ages 6 to 13 over the course of five years ending in 2020.
Researchers found a substantial uptick in the prevalence of myopia, a several-fold increase, among children ages 6 to 8 years old during the first six months of 2020 when COVID-19 lockdowns took place.
While this is just one study, eye experts across the globe agree it’s likely indicative of a larger problem of increased near-sightedness among young children.
What’s going on here? Researchers believe that the high intensity of outdoor light influences how children’s eyes develop, essentially affecting how clearly they can see. Without enough exposure to outside light, their eyes are not able to develop properly. Although currently there are no clear-cut solutions, researchers hypothesize that the best medicine may be more time playing outdoors, especially for younger children.
The take-home message: Too much near work and not enough outside play have affected children’s sight during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first step to solving this problem is simple: Get kids to spend more time outside.
Visit Cornell University’s Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research’s website for more information on our work.
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